Kostelanetz & Fink Expands New York And Washington Offices

NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 26, 2018) — Kostelanetz & Fink, LLP is pleased to announce that it is expanding both its New York and Washington, D.C. offices by bringing on Yoram Keinan, a prominent domestic and international tax planning veteran, and Paul T. Butler, a distinguished former civil trial attorney for the Justice Department’s Tax Division and former Associate Area Counsel, Large Business & International, for the Internal Revenue Service.

Yoram Keinan joins the New York office as a partner, and Mr. Butler joins the Washington office as Senior Counsel.

In his more than two decades of experience in both the U.S. and Israel, Mr. Keinan has developed a wide-ranging tax practice. He has represented multinational entities, banks, insurance companies, hedge funds, private equity funds, real estate investment trusts (REITs), real estate developers and high net-worth individuals. In addition, Mr. Keinan has developed extensive experience with respect to the domestic and international taxation of financial products and institutions.

Prior to joining Kostelanetz & Fink, Mr. Keinan was a partner at Smith Gambrell & Russell and headed the Tax Practice at Carter Ledyard & Milburn. He also was a tax partner at Greenberg Traurig and worked in Ernst & Young’s National Tax Department. Before coming to the United States and earning his J.S.D. from the University of Michigan Law School, Mr. Keinan practiced tax law in Israel for three years and has been member of the Israeli Bar since 1996.

“We are very excited for Yoram to add his unique expertise in international tax planning to our outstanding team of tax and white collar attorneys,” said Kostelanetz & Fink Managing Partner Bryan Skarlatos. “Yoram’s deep experience and success representing corporations, financial institutions, and other large entities will make him an invaluable advocate for our clients.”

“I have long admired the breadth of experience and practical know-how exhibited by the accomplished attorneys at Kostelanetz & Fink,” said Mr. Keinan. “It is an honor to come in as a partner to a firm whose national reputation and success for clients is unparalleled.”

Mr. Butler’s addition augments the already formidable government investigations and high-stakes litigation practice of the Washington, D.C., office, which was founded by partners Caroline Ciraolo, former head of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Tax Division, and Jay Nanavati, a former Assistant Chief of the Tax Division’s Criminal Enforcement Section.

Mr. Butler is joining the firm after a successful career at the Department of Justice and IRS, where he most recently served as a trial attorney in the Tax Division’s Civil Trial Section, Western Region handling cases involving willful FBAR penalty assessments, among other large civil cases. Mr. Butler also spent nearly 20 years in the Office of Chief Counsel for the Internal Revenue Service.

“We are thrilled for Paul to join our growing Washington, D.C., office,” said Ms. Ciraolo and Mr. Nanavati. “Paul brings a unique background in federal civil tax litigation addressing a wide range of issues, including the failure to report foreign financial accounts and assets, taxation of complex transactions and structures, the promotion of tax shelters, the Administrative Procedure Act, John Doe summons enforcement, and conservation easements, among others.”

Kostelanetz & Fink, LLP has built a national reputation as the law firm of choice for clients facing high-stakes negotiations and controversies with government agencies. Because of our extensive experience handling the most challenging, complex and sensitive cases, our attorneys are considered to be some of the country’s foremost experts on tax controversies, white collar defense and regulatory matters. An important part of the firm’s practice includes tax and estate planning and representation in government procurement and government contracting.